Straight up, Final Fantasy XV has its issues. After roughly ten years in the making, fans were expecting the next major, brand new title in the franchise to deliver some heavy-duty storytelling and outstanding gameplay. Minds were expected to be blown in the same way minds were blown over the original Final Fantasy VII.

Sadly, what fans got was a hodge-podge of storytelling that was explored through several different mediums including anime chapters, a full-length movie, and even a trailer titled Omen. Where fans expected to have a tragic love story of the decade, they were instead served a mediocre childhood friendship that ending up being the laughing stock of all Final Fantasy love stories.

Opposed to this, Final Fantasy VII Remake did a wonderful job with its infamous love triangle. In fact, everything about the remake’s storyline is eloquent, deep, and engaging. All this was made even better by the incredible cutscenes that make the game feel more like a movie instead of, well, a video game.

And there it is, the big sin of Final Fantasy VII Remake. It really is a 30-hour movie with pinches of gameplay spread out here and there.

Despite Final Fantasy XV not being all it was cracked up to be, there are elements of the gameplay that are fun and even endearing. It doesn’t need to include ten minutes cutscenes of basic dialogue to get a point across. Final Fantasy VII Remake was epic, but it could learn a thing or two from Final Fantasy XV’s storytelling.

Story Through Gameplay–Showing Not Telling

Final Fantasy XV’s battle interactions revolutionized the franchise and it was expected that following the 15th installment, future titles might include the same mechanics.

There was nothing better than watching Noctis catch Prompto in the middle of a fight or to see Aranea slap one of the boys to boost their health. The amount of detail in the interactions during battles was enough to save the game because nothing like it had been done before, at least within the Final Fantasy franchise.

How did this help the story? It showed rather than told.

This is where Final Fantasy VII could learn something.

True, Final Fantasy XV didn’t have nearly as many cutscenes but what it lacked for in cinematics was made up in gameplay-storytelling. Think of it this way:

Showing a story in video games can be seen in gameplay dialogue and character interactions.

Telling a story in a video game can be seen in the cutscenes. The players are being spoon-fed the plot and character development rather than exploring it.

What it comes down to is, yes, Final Fantasy VII Remake has incredible cutscenes but that seemed to be the developers’ main focus. The dungeons are quick and not all that exciting. There aren’t many places to grind and frankly, there is no reason to grind. There are no hefty challenges that make the player feel like they need to take extra time to level up.

Returning To The Dark Ages Of Linear Gameplay

Another thing that Final Fantasy XV revolutionized for the franchise was the open-world feature.

Now, it is common knowledge that Midgar is just one city and so it doesn’t make sense to have an open-world. However, Midgar is a giant city, something that could have easily been explored but isn’t made accessible to the players.

The open-world feature of Final Fantasy XV was a breath of fresh air after Final Fantasy XIII’s linear gameplay. With Final Fantasy VII Remake on its heels, there was reason to suspect a new and improved open-world. Afterall, Midgar looked amazing and it was exciting to think about being able to freely explore the city as Cloud, or even Aerith or Tifa.

Unfortunately, what players got was a very beautiful, very linear exploration of the city in its various parts. There is no denying the visuals are stunning. Stand on any high place within the game and it’s evident the developers put in a lot of work.

But, no matter the looks, it’s just a pretty backdrop if the player doesn’t get a chance to explore it. Naturally, it can’t be expected that every Final Fantasy game has to have the exact same features as previous titles, but the idea of open-world Final Fantasies henceforth was an exciting thing to dream about.

Looks like fans will have to keep dreaming unless the next installment of Final Fantasy VII Remake opens things up to free-roaming.

NEXT: Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers: All DPS Classes, Ranked